Friday, April 17

I've been traveling. And that means not cooking. So I'm getting my groove back this week and experimenting a bit and... nothing is ready to share. Sorry! Everything sort of half turned out, you know? Close-but-no-cigar results. So in the meantime I snack on radishes. Bright, spicy, sparkly radishes. So fresh, so extra good in the spring before hot weather turns them too spicy and almost a bit, I hate to say it, but pungent. They are, after all, in the mustard family, like horseradish, so they come by their pungency naturally, but I prefer my radishes with a light bit of a kick and plenty of watery crunch.

When you tire of eating them by the bunch, I have what may sound like a radical suggestion: Try cooking them. Yes, you can (and should!) cook radishes. The easiest way to start is with a quick little braise with a bit of sugar to create a pretty shiny glaze all over them. I think you'll be delighted with the results. They lose their crunch but gain a soft, melting texture that goes particularly well with broiled, grilled, or steamed fish.

Too crazy for you? Try a thinly sliced gingery radish salad. Still delicious, still more interesting than plain radishes, but no where near as wacky as cooking them. (But seriously, try cooking them!)